Fulham draw shows what Chelsea and their £500m spending spree still can't buy
They have spent more than the French, German, Spanish and Italian leagues combined last month but Chelsea still can’t buy a goal.
Co-owners Todd Boelhy and Behdad Eghbali can flex the credit card, rip up the running order and announce themselves as the new players in town.
But for all the promise of the Stamford Bridge mid-season reboot - and this was promising - it was Fulham with more shots on target and more touches in the opposition box. Joao Felix, who returns from his suspension at West Ham next Tuesday, cannot make it back soon enough.
Let’s not kid ourselves, for all the stick Graham Potter and his men will get for this goalless draw, there isn’t a fan in the country who would tell their owners to put their money away instead of splashing out on a £500million, mid-season, January refit with their team languishing in mid-table.
The club’s British-record signing, £107million midfielder Enzo Fernandez, was one of the best players on the pitch and this was a good road test for the new-look line-up. Fulham2023 are no slouches, sitting three places and two points above the Blues in the table and hunting a European place.
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The motivation was obvious for Potter and his Chelsea stars. The former Brighton boss admitted in the build-up that the memory of defeat in the reverse fixture was "still there”. A top four place was - ten points away at the start of play with four months to go - was also far from a childish fantasy.
But Chelsea without an experienced point man were again toothless. They’ve now managed to win just one of their last seven games, scoring just three times in that period.
Chelsea put in an improved performance but failed to find a goal vs FulhamPierre-Emerick Aubameyang, left out of their Champions League squad hours earlier, appeared to have preferred a night out in Milan to more frustration at Stamford Bridge with pictures emerging on social media as the night wore on. He was one of the lucky ones.
Because ultimately the party fell flat in SW6. Blues fans will have to wait until their London Stadium showdown to find out whether their upgraded line-up can turn promise into goals.
Yes, the pieces are falling back into place. Reece James was back from injury for his first Chelsea appearance since 27 December. Ben Chilwell came on as a late substitute, Thiago Silva was again Man of the Match alongside new boy Benoit Badiashile and in midfield Fernandez and Conor Gallagher were all quick feet and composure.
In attack Mykhailo Mudryk made his first league start with Hakim Ziyech on the other flank to ease his frustrations over his failed move to PSG.
New signing David Datro Fofana almost scored a late winner for the BluesAnd Boelhy will have been far happier with the promise shown here by the Class of ’23 than anything he’d seen from the older vintage during the first half of the season.
From Fernandez this was not a bad start at all. The most touches, the most tackles and the most possession won of any player. Late on his effort from distance was only narrowly off-target. Had it gone in it would have capped a fine debut.
But Boehly will still be concerned by that Chelsea attack. Kai Havertz was too slow to react to a first-half ball across the box from Mason Mount with the goal gaping on the half hour.
Minutes later Fernandez sent Ziyech clear but the Moroccan sent his effort wild and into the stands. Then Havertz lifted an effort over Berndt Leno but hit the post you sensed it wouldn’t be Chelsea’s night.
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Before all that it was Fulham’s Andreas Pereira who had us all on the edge of our seats, forcing a fine save from Kepa.
Right-back Tete also crossed at the end of a driving run for former Blue Willian - who played well back at the Bridge - to head across goal for Aleksandr Mitrovic. Fortunately for Chelsea Thiago Silva cleaned up. But considering the home side had splashed out £600million when you include the subtitles, it wasn’t supposed to be this tight.
Without a point man of any class, however. Chelsea just couldn’t break the deadlock. Even when Raheem Sterling came on as a late substitute.
Substitute Datro Fofana - also left out of the Champions League squad - could have made himself an instant hero at the Bright. But when he raced onto Gallagher’s lofted ball, beat Leno, sat defender Issa Diop down with a drop of the shoulder but had his goal bound shot blocked by a fantastic Tim Ream block, that was that for the night.
Boehly slumped back into his seat and looked skyward. It is all on the shoulders of Felix now next Tuesday at the London Stadium.
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